Business

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) topped the countries importing Omani non-oil exports as it imported OMR72.8 million as at the end of January 2014, followed by Pakistan with OMR62.3 million and Saudi Arabia with OMR58.3 million.– File photo

Muscat: The Sultanate of Oman's exports witnessed a 8.1 per cent decline in value terms in January, 2014, compared to the same period in 2013.

The total value of commodity exports amounted to OMR1,764.7 million at the end of January 2014, against OMR1,919.7 million for the same period in 2013, according to the National Centre for Statistics and Information.

The fall was attributed to an 8.2 per cent decline in oil and gas exports, which amounted to OMR1,169 million at the end of January 2014, compared to OMR1,274.1 million for the same period last year.

The value of the re-exported commodities also declined by 21.9 per cent at OMR249.1 million at the end of January 2014, compared to OMR319.1 million during the corresponding period in 2013.

However, the country's non-oil exports increased by 6.1 per cent at the end of January 2014 to OMR346.6 million compared to OMR326.5 million during the corresponding period in 2013.

UAE tops listThe UAE topped the countries importing Omani non-oil exports as it imported OMR72.8 million as at the end of January 2014, followed by Pakistan with OMR62.3 million and Saudi Arabia with OMR58.3 million. The UAE also topped the countries importing re-exported commodities from the Sultanate during the period as it imported OMR113.6 million, followed by China with OMR35.1 million and Saudi Arabia with OMR20.5 million.

The imported commodities also recorded a decline of 6.8 per cent to hit OMR943 million at the end of January 2014, compared to OMR1,012.3 million during the corresponding period in 2012.

The UAE also topped the countries exporting to the Sultanate, as the Sultanate imported OMR298.4 million at the end of January 2014, followed by Japan and India.